This invention relates to a disposable mucoid absorbing dressing and particularly to a method of absorbing secretions from urostomies, the surgically formed artificial abdominal openings that serve as the exit sites for continent catheterizable ileal bladders or urinary reservoirs.
The terms "continent ileal bladders" or continent urinary reservoirs" refers to structures that collect and store urine and that are periodically emptied by catheterization of a cutaneous stoma or urostomy.
As is well known, the bladder is a membranous sac which serves as a receptacle for urine, which it receives through the ureters and discharges through the urethra. Disease or dysfunction of the urinary system has promted surgeons to replace or reconstruct the defective body part i.e. ureters, bladder and/or urethra, with expendable autologous tissue from the same or a different organ system. One such technique for the creation of a continent ileal bladder, called the Kock urinary reservoir, involves the construction of a urine storage component from a segment of the ileum, a part of the bowel. The afferent and efferent limbs of the bowel segment are intussuscepted or invaginated and supporting collars are fixed around the afferent inlet and the efferent outlet. Continence is achieved by means of the efferent ileal intussusception which protrudes into the urinary reservoir. The continence mechanism of the Kock urinary reservoir is similar to that of the normal urinary sphincter. That is, the resistance to urinary flow of the efferent ileal intussusception exceeds that of the intra-luminal pressures of the storage reservoir, thus preventing the involuntary voiding of urine. The afferent ileal intussusception operates in an identical manner as an antireflux mechanism, preventing backflow of urine from the reservoir into the ureters or drainage conduits.
A urostomy or opening fashioned in the abdominal wall serves as the entry site for the insertion of a catheter through the tight collar of the efferent ileal intussusception and into the urinary reservoir. While the catheter is in place drainage of urine proceeds. Both the tight collar around the outlet and the efferent ileal intussusception insure that urine is retained within the urinary reservoir except when the catheter is inserted.
Thus, the continent catheterizable ileal bladder is essentially "leak proof" as no large scale drainage of urine through the urostomy occurs except during catheterization. However, a certain amount of mucoid material or liquid body discharge may seep through the urostomy. Such seepage is both uncomfortable and unhygenic and may be embarrassing if wetness appears on clothing.
Applicant has discovered that application of the mucoid absorbing dressing of the present invention, having a quantity of liquid absorbing material contained therein, to the urostomy solves the problem of embarrassing mucoid seepage.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a method of absorbing mucus or liquid body discharge seeping from urostomies or other body openings.
A related object is to provide a method of absorbing mucus or liquid body discharge seeping from stomas that serve as the exit sites for continent catheterizable ileal bladders or urinary reservoirs.
A further object of this invention is to provide a mucoid absorbing dressing for contacting a person's body opening.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a mucoid absorbing dressing having a quantity of liquid absorbing material contained therein for absorbing mucus seeping from urostomies or other body openings.